2.0 Fitness, Food and Fun

Like I have said before on this blog, Toronto is a city that LOVES. I am constantly surprised at how people all over this great city find their own way to give back to the community and share just a little bit of positivity.

Vanessa invited me to Julian Ho‘s 2.0 boot camp event at the beginning of the month. She participated in last year’s bootcamp 1.0 and she had nothing but amazing things to say about the experience. With my new found energy for fitness and my recent Tough Mudder finish, I was excited to attend his event. Not just for the expertise of the team of fitness gurus he amassed, but also to support and raise money for the new Humber River Hospital. As North America’s first fully digital hospital, the HRH encompasses the 2.0 approach to fitness but through healthcare; encouraging pro-activeness, innovation, and holism.

Julian and his team do a quick huddle before the start of the event

The event started off with a meet and mingle, getting a chance to speak one-on-one with some of our instructors and fellow boot campers. One thing was clear, our instructors truly have an infectious enthusiasm for sharing their passion in fitness – I was raring to go!

We had a butt busting line up of everything from CheerBody to Crossfit to Yoga. I loved that I was able to push myself in different areas of fitness all in one go!

Working out with a partner makes the work out fun!

We finished with a meal made by Julian and his family and listened to great talks from experts in health and wellness. Wow did I enjoy everything that they served us! Julian was kind enough to send me the recipes and I’ll share my favourite one with you here (although all the recipes were great!)

The hard part:
– Chickpeas: Place uncooked chickpeas in a sealed container with double the amount of cold water overnight/or before going to work, leaving on the counter. Once the 8-12 hours are up, the beans will have soaked up most of the water, but you are not done yet. Strain any remaining water, and transfer soaked chickpeas to a large cooking pot. Bring to a boil, and reduce to
a simmer with the lid on for approx. 30mins to 1 hour (or until the desired texture is reached).

– Adzuki/Mung Beans: The same instructions applies to these beans as with chickpeas, with the exception that the time to simmer will a little less since they are smaller beans. However, check the consistency of the bean before removing. They should still be firm, but not hard to chew.

– Quinoa: Rinse 1 cup of quinoa in a strainer and transfer to a pot. Add two cups of water to the pot, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer, with the lid slightly off. Simmer for approx. 15-20 minutes until the quinoa has soaked up all the water. Fluff with a fork. This can be done either when you are prepping the beans, or before you start cooking your meal (see ‘The easy part’ below).

The easy part:
– Dice onion, chop kale and parsley, and mince garlic (or just cut it as small as you can).
– Add oil to the frying pan at a medium heat, and once heated, add in diced onions. Sautee until slightly brown.
– Add in garlic and cook until garlic is slightly brown.
– Add in kale and parsley until slightly wilted.
– Add in cooked mung beans, adzuki beans, quinoa and chickpeas and mix in with onion mixture.
– Once mixed, add in cranberries, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.
– If the pot is too dry at the bottom, add a tablespoon of water to deglaze and cook until water is evaporated.
– Adjust seasoning to taste and serve!

Photos care of Jeremy Benning

Kudos to Julian for creating this awesome event. The event raised $1300 for the HRH. I can’t wait to see what this new hospital will do to help reinvent and revolutionize patient care in North America. You can learn more about the HRH and donate to this new initiative here: http://www.hrh.ca

What’s next for Julian and 3.0?

“I am passionate about spreading this holistic hybrid approach to Fitness and would love to connect with others interested in doing the same, and others that can bring innovative things to the table. Events that bridge fitness and technology, pop-up shop fitness classes, and fitness/food trucking.”

Make sure you follow Julian at his twitter @ohnailuj or visit his website http://www.julianho.ca to get involved or participate in his next event. Can’t wait to see what the next level will bring! Here’s to 3.0!

2.0 Fitness, Food and Fun

Like I have said before on this blog, Toronto is a city that LOVES. I am constantly surprised at how people all over this great city find their own way to give back to the community and share just a little bit of positivity.

Vanessa invited me to Julian Ho‘s 2.0 boot camp event at the beginning of the month. She participated in last year’s bootcamp 1.0 and she had nothing but amazing things to say about the experience. With my new found energy for fitness and my recent Tough Mudder finish, I was excited to attend his event. Not just for the expertise of the team of fitness gurus he amassed, but also to support and raise money for the new Humber River Hospital. As North America’s first fully digital hospital, the HRH encompasses the 2.0 approach to fitness but through healthcare; encouraging pro-activeness, innovation, and holism.

Julian and his team do a quick huddle before the start of the event

The event started off with a meet and mingle, getting a chance to speak one-on-one with some of our instructors and fellow boot campers. One thing was clear, our instructors truly have an infectious enthusiasm for sharing their passion in fitness – I was raring to go!

We had a butt busting line up of everything from CheerBody to Crossfit to Yoga. I loved that I was able to push myself in different areas of fitness all in one go!

Working out with a partner makes the work out fun!

We finished with a meal made by Julian and his family and listened to great talks from experts in health and wellness. Wow did I enjoy everything that they served us! Julian was kind enough to send me the recipes and I’ll share my favourite one with you here (although all the recipes were great!)

The hard part:
– Chickpeas: Place uncooked chickpeas in a sealed container with double the amount of cold water overnight/or before going to work, leaving on the counter. Once the 8-12 hours are up, the beans will have soaked up most of the water, but you are not done yet. Strain any remaining water, and transfer soaked chickpeas to a large cooking pot. Bring to a boil, and reduce to
a simmer with the lid on for approx. 30mins to 1 hour (or until the desired texture is reached).

– Adzuki/Mung Beans: The same instructions applies to these beans as with chickpeas, with the exception that the time to simmer will a little less since they are smaller beans. However, check the consistency of the bean before removing. They should still be firm, but not hard to chew.

– Quinoa: Rinse 1 cup of quinoa in a strainer and transfer to a pot. Add two cups of water to the pot, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer, with the lid slightly off. Simmer for approx. 15-20 minutes until the quinoa has soaked up all the water. Fluff with a fork. This can be done either when you are prepping the beans, or before you start cooking your meal (see ‘The easy part’ below).

The easy part:
– Dice onion, chop kale and parsley, and mince garlic (or just cut it as small as you can).
– Add oil to the frying pan at a medium heat, and once heated, add in diced onions. Sautee until slightly brown.
– Add in garlic and cook until garlic is slightly brown.
– Add in kale and parsley until slightly wilted.
– Add in cooked mung beans, adzuki beans, quinoa and chickpeas and mix in with onion mixture.
– Once mixed, add in cranberries, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.
– If the pot is too dry at the bottom, add a tablespoon of water to deglaze and cook until water is evaporated.
– Adjust seasoning to taste and serve!

Photos care of Jeremy Benning

Kudos to Julian for creating this awesome event. The event raised $1300 for the HRH. I can’t wait to see what this new hospital will do to help reinvent and revolutionize patient care in North America. You can learn more about the HRH and donate to this new initiative here: http://www.hrh.ca

What’s next for Julian and 3.0?

“I am passionate about spreading this holistic hybrid approach to Fitness and would love to connect with others interested in doing the same, and others that can bring innovative things to the table. Events that bridge fitness and technology, pop-up shop fitness classes, and fitness/food trucking.”

Make sure you follow Julian at his twitter @ohnailuj or visit his website http://www.julianho.ca to get involved or participate in his next event. Can’t wait to see what the next level will bring! Here’s to 3.0!